TOKYO: Honda Motor Co. plans to launch one new mid- to large-sized electric vehicle in North America and four EV models in Japan from 2025, chief executive officer Toshihiro Mibe said, as the Japanese automaker seeks to only sell electric cars globally by 2040.
Japan’s second largest carmaker will also collaborate with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on the procurement of chips, aiming to smooth over any supply disruptions after past dearths forced Honda to cut back on production, Mibe said at a media briefing here today.
Honda also aims to make its factory in Saitama its first carbon neural plant by fiscal 2026, he added.
Tokyo-based Honda is seeking to catch up with global peers that are outrunning it in the race to switch to cleaner cars. The automaker, which also makes a deal of money from selling motorbikes, has teamed up with Sony Group Corp. to develop EVs and earlier this year broke ground on a new US$4.4 billion lithium-ion battery plant in rural Ohio in the US.
Mibe said today that at this month’s Shanghai auto show, China’s premier car event, Honda realised “things are moving forward more than we expected.” China is moving ahead in the technology of autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, he said.
In China specifically, Honda plans to introduce 10 EV models by 2027. It revealed prototypes of three EVs at the Shanghai show that are expected to go on sale in 2024.
Via the introduction of those new e:N Series models, Honda is hoping to have electric cars represent 100% of sales in China by 2035, ahead of its global target.
Honda also plans to develop an operating system for EVs in North America in conjunction with General Motors Co., Mibe said Wednesday, and is strengthening collaboration with Hitachi Astemo Ltd. for autonomous driving.
